The Cobweb

Set during the tense period of the first Gulf War, a CIA analyst uncovers suspicious federal spending pointing toward an Iowa university. Simultaneously, a small town deputy sheriff investigates local anomalies linked to foreign exchange students. Together, these threads converge into a high stakes plot involving biological agents and international intrigue. The narrative explores political corruption and national security during a global crisis.

by Neal Stephenson

Spectra · First published 1996 · 448 pages